Canopy device

ABSTRACT

A canopy device includes two connecting seats, a canopy, and at least one elongated supporting member for supporting the canopy. The connecting seats are adapted to be mounted to a baby care apparatus. The supporting member has two opposite ends mounted respectively to the connecting seats, and at least one flexibility-increased lengthwise segment more flexible than a remaining portion of the supporting member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Chinese Application No. 200910142049.X, filed on Jun. 1, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a canopy device, more particularly to a canopy device adapted to be mounted to a baby care apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0038368, U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,910, and Chinese Utility Model No. CN201021308 disclose configurations of supporting rods for supporting a canopy. The supporting rods must be heated first so that it can be bent into a predetermined shape, such as a C-shape or a U-shape. As a result, a heat treatment process is required during manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a canopy device capable of alleviating the above drawbacks of the prior art.

Accordingly, a canopy device of the present invention includes two connecting seats, a canopy, and at least one elongated supporting member for supporting the canopy. The connecting seats are adapted to be mounted to a baby care apparatus. The supporting member has two opposite ends mounted respectively to the connecting seats, and at least one flexibility-increased lengthwise segment more flexible than a remaining portion of the supporting member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a canopy device according to the present invention mounted to a baby care apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a supporting member of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment, mounted to another baby care apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a supporting member of a second preferred embodiment of a canopy device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first preferred embodiment of a canopy device 1 of the present invention is adapted to be mounted to a baby care apparatus 2, and comprises two connecting seats 11, a canopy 13, two elongated supporting members 12 for supporting the canopy 13, and a plurality of connecting units 15 adapted for interconnecting the canopy 13 and the baby care apparatus 2.

The baby care apparatus 2 comprises a frame 21 for supporting a baby above. It should be noted that while this invention is exemplified using a bassinet, other baby care apparatus may be provided in other embodiments of this invention. For example, the baby care apparatus 2 can be a stroller shown in FIG. 3.

The connecting seats 11 are removably mounted to the frame 21 of the baby care apparatus 2. Each of the supporting members 12 has two opposite ends mounted respectively to the connecting seats 11, and two flexibility-increased lengthwise segments 123 more flexible than a remaining portion of the corresponding supporting member 12.

Each of the flexibility-increased lengthwise segments 123 of the supporting members 12 has two cut-out portions that are formed respectively in two opposite sides thereof and that are configured respectively as two aligned notches 122 so that the corresponding flexibility-increased lengthwise segment 123 is narrower than the remaining portion of the corresponding supporting member 12. As a result, the supporting members 12 are bendable forcibly at the flexibility-increased lengthwise segments 123. Each of the supporting members 12 can be deformed manually easily into a C-shape or a U-shape without a heat treatment to thereby mount to the corresponding one of the connecting seats 11 by the opposite ends thereof. In this preferred embodiment, the supporting members 12 are made of a plastic material having a predetermined elastic modulus.

Each of the connecting units 15 in this embodiment includes two interconnected hook-and-loop fasteners 151, 152 that are adapted to be disposed respectively on the canopy 13 and the baby care apparatus 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, a second preferred embodiment of the canopy device (not shown) according to the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment resides in the configuration of the supporting members 12. In the second preferred embodiment, the cut-out portions of the flexibility-increased lengthwise segments 123 of each of the supporting members 12 are configured respectively as lengthwise slots 122 each having two closed ends. The second preferred embodiment has the same advantages as those of the first preferred embodiment.

To sum up, the advantage of the canopy device 1 according to the present invention is as follows. In the present invention, each of the supporting members 12 has the flexibility-increased lengthwise segments 123. As described above, the supporting members 12 can be deformed easily into a C-shape or a U-shape without a heat treatment and less plastic material are consumed to thereby reduce the manufacturing cost.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A canopy device comprising two connecting seats, a canopy, and at least one elongated supporting member for supporting said canopy, said connecting seats being adapted to be mounted to a baby care apparatus, said supporting member having two opposite ends mounted respectively to said connecting seats, and at least one flexibility-increased lengthwise segment more flexible than a remaining portion of said supporting member.
 2. The canopy device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment has at least one cut-out portion.
 3. The canopy device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting member has two of said flexibility-increased lengthwise segments.
 4. The canopy device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment has two of said cut-out portions that are formed respectively in two opposite sides thereof and that are configured respectively as two aligned notches so that said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment is narrower than the remaining portion of said supporting member.
 5. The canopy device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cut-out portion of said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment is configured as a lengthwise slot having two closed ends.
 6. The canopy device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a connecting unit adapted for interconnecting said canopy and the baby care apparatus.
 7. The canopy device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said connecting unit includes two interconnected hook-and-loop fasteners that are adapted to be disposed respectively on said canopy and the baby care apparatus.
 8. A baby care apparatus comprising a frame and a canopy device disposed on said frame, said canopy device including two connecting seats, a canopy, and at least one elongated supporting member for supporting said canopy, said connecting seats being mounted to said frame, said supporting member having two opposite ends mounted respectively to said connecting seats, and at least one flexibility-increased lengthwise segment more flexible than a remaining portion of said supporting member.
 9. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment has at least one cut-out portion.
 10. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said supporting member has two of said flexibility-increased lengthwise segments.
 11. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment has two of said cut-out portions that are formed respectively in two opposite sides thereof and that are configured respectively as two aligned notches so that said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment is narrower than the remaining portion of said supporting member.
 12. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cut-out portion of said flexibility-increased lengthwise segment is configured as a lengthwise slot having two closed ends.
 13. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a connecting unit for interconnecting said canopy and said frame.
 14. The baby care apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said connecting unit includes two interconnected hook-and-loop fasteners that are disposed respectively on said canopy and said frame. 